The night at the depth of the forest was overwhelming. The howling wind seemed like it was gushing from place to place, the distant sound of a wolf howling was louder and clearer, the frogs were croaking and the crickets were chirping from all sides and the owls were making a long hooting sound with their big eyes wide open.
As Xialin laid down there on the mattress, her body was rapidly changing from cold to warm as if it was being kept right above a burning charcoal. Unable to bear the heat, she instantly kicks off the tiger's fur and began tossing on from side to side.
The old woman quickly came to her and put her old, wrinkled hand on Xialin's forehead to check her temperature. She felt a sudden rush of heat on her body that she exclaimed in awe, "Goodness Heaven! The body is burning up! Why did it change so rapidly?!".
She quickly tested Xialin's meridian and realised that her body is no longer fragile and weak, the essence of some mythical beasts is running wildly inside her body. Amused by it, she quickly jumped into conclusion, "Girl! You took the Blue Coral Elixir! Didn't you?!!"
As she discovered it, she was left overjoyed. Her thoughts were all over the place. She laughed hard and began to act crazily, "Ha..ha...ha... Good heaven. After so many years... I can finally accomplish my dreams!"
While the Old woman was amusing herself on it, the smell of the roasted deer subconsciously arouses Xialin's mythical essence which were running wildly inside her body. Her nose subconsciously sniffs to the delicious smell of the roasted deer.
She subconsciously wakes up from her sleep at that instant. Her eyes then opened up in a flash and her body stood up on its own.
She climbed down from the mattress and went towards the direction of the roasted deer. She quickly grabbed the roasted deer which were lying before her and takes a big bite greedily as if the tiger is devouring the delicious meat.
Seeing her behaviour, the old woman remained aghast for a while. Hesitating to approach Xialin, she slowly came towards her and pats her on the back. She then spoke caringly, "Girl, slow down you will choke yourself!"
Xialin instantly turned back and glared fiercely at the Old woman with her eyes changing its colour to bluish, glowing sparkled eyes. She was too furious to look at that the Old woman was left startled by her glared. Intimidated by it, she quickly stepped back.
Soon after she stepped back, Xialin continued to ate and finished devouring the entire meat to her stomach full. With it, she passed out again.
The Old woman came forward to take a look at Xialin. She slowly touched her shoulder, noticing that her body shows no response to it, she pulled her back to the mattress.
Soon after a while later, Xialin's body came back to normal.
The Old woman, wiped out her face with a wet towel.
Xialin, in her dream saw that her brother Xulan was slowly drowning inside a pond, feeling terrified to see it, she was sweating over her whole body.
At that instant, she regained her consciousness and wakes up calling her Xulan brother, "Gege!".
As soon as she wakes up, she saw the old woman with greyish, curly, hair staring at her.
Xialin was left frightened upon seeing her. She immediately stepped back and spoke up stammering, "You....You are the woman from the Black Market? Why are you here?!".
She then turn around and observed the place and blurted in astonishment, "Where is this place? Where am I?? My brother?? Is my brother alright??!!"
She questioned the Old woman in anxiousness.
The Old woman started to explain everything, "Young girl, This place is the cave inside the Dark Forest. I found you lying unconscious on the ground all alone, therefore, I brought you here and save you"
She continued on, "Haven't I warn you to leave the Black market? Why didn't you heed to my words? As for your brother, I have no idea"
Xialin upon listening to her words felt eerie and her curiosity roses. She interrogated the old woman in suspicion, "How did you know that I'll get into trouble? Did you plan it?"
The old woman replied sensibly to it, "I am an old witch blessed with the Psychic abilities. I knew the instant I saw you that you are one with a certain destiny".
Xialin collected her thought on it and questioned the woman, "So, you can predict the future?"
The old witch replied in confidence, "I can to a certain extent"
Xialin inquired her in curiosity, "Can you then please tell me what'll happen to my brother Xulan? Can he be saved?"
The Old witch closes her eyes and saw the vision of Xulan bleeding to death at the Physician's House. She shortly comes back to the present, slowly opened her eyes and stated unfeelingly, "Girl, your brother will die of excessive bleeding within half an hour!"
Horrified by it, Xialin inquired the old witch, "Isn't there any way to save him?!"
The Old witch nodded her head and responded knowingly, "I can change his time of death, but I am afraid that it will last only for a month. He'll surely die"
Feeling a slight relief on hearing her words, Xialin asked, "So you can't really save my brother but change his time of death?"
The Old witch reacted to it humbly, "Only an Immortal can save your brother, young girl. I can only change his time of death"
Amazed by it, Xialin asked the old witch in keenness, "Is there really an Immortal?! Can I meet him??!!"
The Old witch answered with a sigh, "It's not easy to meet an immortal. Only a person with a certain fate can meet him. But, I see that in your case, you can surely meet the immortal it's just that the journey to meet the immortal is quite long and risky"
Xialin feeling delighted after hearing her words gathered her hopes up and reacted determined, "If there is a slight chance of saving my brother then I am willing to take the risk. Please tell me where this immortal lived?? I am willing to go and meet him"
The Old witch respond to it calmly, "If that's your case then I shall tell you, This immortal lived inside the Cold Palace!"
Xialin responded in awe, "The Cold Palace??!! Does the immortal really lives there?? I've heard about the place"
She then stood up and walked pacing back and forth relating the entire story of the Cold palace.
"My brother told me that this Cold Palace lies in the middle of the Fog Forest. I heard that anyone who went inside the Cold Palace end up dying. Will I not die if I go there??", she inquired the old woman in curiousness.
The Old Witch replied to it, "Indeed, anyone who went inside the Cold Palace will end up dying, but that will not be the case for you, young girl. You have the taken the Blue Coral Elixir, didn't you?? Heaven grants you the fate to go there!"